Helping others can often shine a light on your real passions.

It's funny what happens when you give your time for free. If, like many, you've been doing your time-sheets, justifying your role and performance for years, it can be liberating and fulfilling to offer your skills to those who are very much in need of not only brains but heart.

At Passion Collective, we believe that when women help other women, magic happens. We also know that making a change in your life can be s&*^ scary, so testing the waters with volunteering your skills to others can not only be a confidence booster, but it can also help you "fill up" your energy.

While we finalize our larger Passion Collective volunteer plan we wanted to share organizations that our Passionados are involved with Twin Cities charities as a form of inspiration.

Ascension Place gives shelter to women who may be abused or in transition. You can volunteer with just a few hours of your time, by participating in "Cook It Up!". Join Passionado Maija Thomsen to help cook for the women on weekends for lunch (10-12PM) or dinner (3-5PM). Up to 5 volunteers can create and cook a menu of their choice for the 32 women living at Ascension Place.

Ascension Place is an amazing organization that provides women in crisis or transition a stable environment and opportunity to explore options for their future. I love supporting an organization that helps women in our community rise!

The Reverse Food Truck is the brilliant idea from Jacquie Berglund and the folks at Finnegans (the beer company that gives 100% of its profits to help fight hunger). Simply request that the truck visits your business, organize your work friends' donations and it will magically arrive, ready to take them off your hands. Easy peasy.